No. 93. Colonel Graham to Mr. Bartlett. CAMP AT THE COPPER MINES OF SANTA RITA, August 4, 1851. SIR: I have just received your letter of this morning, and will, with great pleasure, meet you at the hour proposed by you, at the office of the boundary commission, for the transaction of the business committed. to us. I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, SIR: I have to request that you will, as soon as convenient, give me in writing your reasons for refusing, as you did, at your office this morning, in presence of nearly all the members of the scientific corps,. whom you had assembled there to meet me, to receive and recognise me in the capacity of principal astronomer and head of the scientific corps on the part of the United States, to assist you in running, tracing, and marking the line of boundary between the United States and Mexico, under the fifth article of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, a position to which you were instructed by the Department of the Interior, under date of October 23, 1850, I was appointed. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. D. GRAHAM, J. R. BARTLETT, U. S. Commissioner, &c., &c. No. 95. Mr. Bartlett to Colonel Graham. HEADQUARTERS U. S. BOUNDARY COMMISSION, Santa Rita del Cobre, August 6, 1851. SIR: In consequence of the misunderstanding between us as to the interpretation of my instructions from the Department of the Interior, Washington, bearing date of October 23, 1850, you will oblige me by furnishing me with copies of any other instructions or credentials which you possess relating to your appointment in the commission. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col. J. D. GRAHAM, JOHN R. BARTLETT, Prin. Astr., &c., &c., &c., Santa Rita del Cobre. Commissioner. No. 96. Colonel Graham to Mr. Bartlett. COPPER MINES, August 6, 1851. SIR: I have just received your note of to-day, and in reply have to state that I have no "credentials" of my appointment as principal astronomer and head of the scientific corps on the part of the United States in the boundary commission other than an official copy of the instructions of the Department of the Interior, addressed to you under date of October 23d last, and the letter of the department enclosing them to me, of the same date, which I read to you in your office yesterday, which letter charges me with the duty of superintending the equipment of the astronomical and surveying apparatus for the line, and informs me officially that both you and myself are to be governed by the said instructions to you of October 23, a copy of which letter to me I herewith enclose. The fact is, no additional credentials are necessary. My position and duties are as fully defined in those instructions, and as clearly, as they possibly could be, and I feel assured that no little surprise will be created in the minds of the President and Secretary of the Interior that you should entertain any doubts whatever in regard to the matter. However, I await very respectfully the reasons, in writing, which you. promised me this morning. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col., Prin. Astr. and Head of the Scientific Corps. J. R. BARTLETt, Esq., U. S. Commissioner, &c., &c., &c., Present. No. 97. Colonel Graham to Lieutenant Tillinghast. COPPER MINES OF SANTA RITA, August 6, 1851. SIR: Except the issues to the members of the scientific corps, and the men employed and now stationed at Frontera, you will please make no issues of provisions or property, unless on requisitions communicated Lieut. Col., Head of Scientific Corps, &c., &c., Lieut. O. H. TILLINGHAST, Quartermaster and Commissary, U. S. B. C., Frontera. No. 98. Mr. John Bull to Lieutenant Whipple. SANTA RITA DEL COBRE, SIR: Your "circular" note of the 5th instant, relative to instruments, came duly to hand. I take this opportunity to state that, recently, our official relations have essentially changed; that I have been instructed by the commissioner to report to A. B. Gray, esq., chief surveyor of the United States boundary commission, under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and that I have accordingly done so. Under existing circumstances, I have thought proper to withhold an answer to your note, until I might have an opportunity of consulting with Mr. Bartlett upon the disposition of the instruments in my charge, and for which I had given receipts, and now, in conformity with directions from him, I most cheerfully turn them over to you. The following list comprises all the instruments received from you, excepting one plumb-line, which was lost: One azimuth compass, by Lewart, with tripod, &c.; one amizuth compass, by Gambey, with tripod, &c.; one prismatic compass, with staff; one reconnoitring and protracting instrument, after the plan of Sir Howard Douglas; one levelling-rod (broken by accident;) one 100-feet chain and nine pins; two 50-feet tape-lines; one ivory protractor and scale; one right-line drawing pen. You will please send me, by the bearer, a receipt for the above enumerated instruments. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN BULL, First Assistant Surveyor, U. S. B. C. Lieut. A. W. WHIPPLE, Camp at Santa Rita del Cobre, Present. No. 99. Colonel Graham's plan for conducting the joint survey and demarcation of the boundary, under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. COPPER MINES OF SANTA RITA, August 6, 1851. SIR: With a view to expedite the survey and demarcation of the boundary between the United States and Mexico, and to bring the whole work to as early a termination as shall be consistent with a proper regard to accuracy, I beg leave to submit to you, for the consideration of the joint commission of the two governments, the following plan of operations to be entered into immediately, viz: That the line between the mouth of the Rio Grande and the mouth of the river Gila shall be divided into two divisions, to be called the eastern and western divisions; the eastern division to extend from the highest point of boundary on the Rio Grande to the mouth of that river, and thence three leagues from land, opposite to said mouth, into the Gulf of Mexico, in accordance with the fifth article of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The western division to extend from the aforesaid highest point of boundary on the Rio Grande across the country until the line intersects the first branch of the river Gila, as provided in the treaty, and thence down the said branch and river to its mouth. That each division shall be subdivided into two portions, to be called subdivision 1st, and subdivision 2d, as follows, viz: FOR THE EASTERN DIVISION. Subdivision 1st.-To consist of that portion included between the aforesaid highest point on the Rio Grande, thence down that river to the mouth of the river Pecos, or Puerco. Subdivision 2d.-To extend from the mouth of the said river Pecos, or Puerco, down the Rio Grande to its mouth, and thence three leagues from land, opposite the said mouth, into the Gulf of Mexico, as before mentioned, and in accordance with the treaty. The distance of three leagues to be accurately sounded to a width necessary to show upon the map the best channel for the entrance of the vessels of the two republics into the river. FOR THE WESTERN DIVISION. Subdivison 1st.-To consist of the line across the country from the Rio Grande to the first branch of the river Gila, as described in the treaty. Subdivision 2d. To extend from the aforesaid point on the first branch of the river Gila, down that branch and river to its mouth, in accordance with the treaty. It is considered that the surveys down the Rio Grande and the Gila need not be attended with a triangulation. Although the most accurate, this is, at the same time, an expensive and slow mode of proceeding, and is not necessary to the satisfactory accomplishment of the object committed to the joint commission. It will be sufficient if the shores of these streams are laid down by simple traverse work with small, light theodolites, or surveyor's compasses, and the measurements made with the chain. The run of the work to be corrected by determinations of latitude. and longitude from astronomical observations at suitable points; these points to be connected in longitude by observing signals made by flashes of gunpowder, &c,, compared with the local time, provided it is found practicable without retarding the progress of the surveys. The two shores of these two rivers respectively to be connected in relative position by offsets measured or observed across as often as may be necessary, to lay them down of correct width upon the maps. The course of the deepest channel of the Rio Grande, where it has more than one, to be determined by such soundings as may be necessary to satisfy the surveyors on both sides who may be charged with the ope rations. THE MARKING OF THE LINE. The fifth article of the treaty requires that the boundary line shall be designated by landmarks established upon the ground, which shall show the limits of both republics, as described in the said article. The only portions of the line included between the mouth of the Rio Grande and the mouth of the Gila, which will require thus to be marked, are the islands in the Rio Grande, which are said to be but few in number, and the line across the country, between the waters of the said rivers. Various modes have been resorted to by nations for marking their conterminous limits on land. Sometimes mounds of earth or of stones, piled up six or seven feet high, have been adopted; sometimes posts of timber, charred to preserve them from decay, have been inserted in the ground for this purpose. On Mason and Dixon's line, run to divide the provinces of Maryland and Pennsylvania, which was completed in the year 1768, posts of stone, with appropriate inscriptions on the sides facing the respective territories, were resorted to. On the northeastern boundary of the United States, run and marked in the years 1843, '44, and '45, posts of cast-iron, with suitable inscriptions formed in the casting, were used with great economy, and their durability gives them a decided preference over all others, provided they can be cast within such distance of the line as to confine the expense of transportation within reasonable limits. This may be found practicable. If so, I would recommend their being adopted. Those for the islands in the Rio Grande should have brief inscriptions indicating the republic to whose jurisdiction they may respectively belong. As principal astronomer and head of the scientific corps on the part of the United States, I am prepared with instruments and means sufficient to set immediately into active operation the surveys of both sections of the western division, and of the first section of the eastern division, and I request that the commission on the part of Mexico may |